Six things I can’t live without…

The 6 things I can’t live without…

I was writing an article about items for a capsule wardrobe and it got me thinking about my favourite things and how sometimes inanimate objects become really important to us. They can help elevate our mood or remind us of times gone by and although some people might say this is shallow, I believe these small things have such impact on us and the way we feel and perceive ourselves then we are fortunate indeed. These are the items I feel define me and I think of them like very good friends, in fact they’re the sort of friends who are there for you during the inevitable tough times and definitely shaking their thang during the parties too – they are keepers!

It goes without saying that this blog is for fun as I couldn’t live without my family, friends and health – so here are the six style items I can’t live without in no particular order…

1) Lady Danger lipstick – MAC

I have loved Lady Danger ardently for many years after I had a makeover at the MAC counter when I told the makeup artist I didn’t ‘do’ lipstick. She laughed and told me ‘You will after wearing this!’ She wasn’t wrong and six years later my love affair with Lady D is as strong and patriotic as ever.

Recently I ordered Dangerous after Lady D was out of stock online and in three MAC boutiques (please MAC don’t run out again – it was a horrible time!) I didn’t like the consistency and felt it was a little sister to the Queen that is Lady Danger and was so overjoyed when it came back into stock I rang my friend to tell her ‘Thank God – Lady D has come back into stock!’. I mean I have dallied with other orangey/reds and even other colours and I do quite like Velvet Teddy, it definitely has it’s place, but I just never quite feel like me.

I feel like I have forgotten a small piece of me without her, silly I know but we all wear armour in one way or another and Lady Danger is an excellent ally and brave and tenacious warrior. I ALWAYS unfailingly come back to her, apologetic for my floosy behavior and after a small sulk she welcomes me back with a knowing nod – Lady Danger knows she is the best out there and for good reason

2) Statement earrings

I have loved statement earrings ever since my Mum wore huge ornate, brightly coloured dangly creatures in the 80’s whilst stomping round Romford Market in her leather trousers and faux-fur jacket as I trotted mesmerized in her wake. I have been hooked ever since, riding out the unfashionable phases with the belief that one day wearing earrings larger than the chandelier in my hallway would be stylish again. What joy I am living now! Think of my delight as everywhere I look there is another stylish tassle, geometric shape and ornate and intricate pieces that delight and amaze in equal measure. Gasp! No earring is too large now and Pat Butcher can rest easy that she set a glorious trend for bigger, bolder and beautiful earrings that can maketh the outfit. I probably spend as long selecting my earrings as I do for my outfit each night and usually lay at least five pairs in a row so I may select at my leisure in the morning which gorgeous specimen will be caressing my neck for the day ahead. I have earrings that can tell you tales – I have earrings that haven’t lasted the adventures but love them so much I still keep one half as a memento, and one of my favourite pairs I bought in India fifteen years ago and still smile every time I wear them as the joyful memories of that epic trip flood back. Aaahh statement earrings – please stay.

3) Mascara

This is one of those things I would run back into my house for even if it meant being late. Ooops. I do literally feel naked without mascara and if I don’t put much make-up on this would be one of the items I would insist on. I used to be a Dior devotee until running out and trying Benefit Lash Roller a few years ago and being completely smitten – it gives great length to the lash and really defines them as I am very fortunate in having really long, thick lashes (thankyou Grandma!). This product really lifts the lashes too and is a godsend for me as I spent years using a lash curler to lift them away from my glasses or I spend all day wiping my specs in a Miss Marple-esque way. I use both the black and brown versions as I feel they give a different effect – brown for everyday and black for night time or a more dramatic look. My husband even notices the difference when I use the black! Thankyou Benefit x

4) Nike trainers

I love my Nike trainers and am always inventing ways I can buy more styles! My husband bought me a customized pair for my birthday last year and I spent months deliberating and deciding over which colours and shapes and features to add and whether I would add my initials to the back. (I didn’t in the end).

I was never a trainers girl growing up, despite being very sporty at school to me they were just a functional item I slung in the hallway after hockey or athletics etc., and came to them very late in the game about six years ago. I used to believe trainers were only used for sports and that wearing them for anything else was just a bit unacceptable – how ridiculous when you think how everyone has at least two or three pairs now and a whole generation has grown up wearing only trainers!

I used to walk to the tube in my very high and fabulous heels when I lived in London for 2 miles each way along cobbled streets, up and down steps and then back again in the evening – and that may be why I have foot problems now…I bought a pair of Nikes when I was training to do a triathlon and it was such a revelation in terms of comfort and I literally felt they made me run faster, I quickly bought another pair and so the addiction grew. My love for them was compounded when I had an operation to my knee about three years ago as they were a life saver when I had to go back to work 3-days after the op (own business no choice) and they enabled me to be as comfortable as possible without losing my sense of style. I do have other trainers from different brands, but at heart I am a Nike girl.

5) Perfume

Perfume adverts are full of beauty, opulence and drama and I always adore seeing how the perfume houses dream up new and creative ways for their perfumes to be portrayed on screen or in print. It is one of my favourite things to discover a new scent – and we all know how evocative smell is and how it can bring back faded memories in an instant. There are those beloved perfumes we come back to time and again both reassuring and comforting in their well-known aroma and the way it makes us feel. I still love Shalimar as my Mum and very glamorous Aunt used to wear it back in the 80’s and so it makes me feel nostalgic and happy and I love Guerlian bottles too – they are real keepers. One of my favourite new perfumes in recent years is Alaia which my husband bought me as surprise and I LOVE it, but it is really difficult to find so a rare and special treat when you come across it – which we did in Spain last year and I honestly felt like all my Birthdays had come at once! Again it is one of those things I feel a bit naked without so had to be on my top six list…

6) Biker jacket

Iconic. And let’s face it who doesn’t want to look like Kate Moss?! I am a real coat-girl. Some women love bags and shoes but my weakness is coats. I have about six different biker jackets in a variety of colours and styles and I use them all throughout the year. They are quite simply a Wardrobe Hero and every girl needs one if not two in her life. They save outfits from looking too dressy in an instant and the right jacket can literally upgrade a simple black jeans and t-shirt outfit to biker girl chic – add a swirl of red lipstick and you are good to go!

To me they are an essential part of every woman’s capsule style and once you’ve owned one guaranteed you’ll wonder how you managed without it. I use them a bit like a cool cardigan – a layer to add interest and texture and it means you can get more use out of ‘dressier’ items in your wardrobe as a biker jacket can add street credibility and a youthful edge to dresses you might feel are a ‘bit much’ for going to the pub in. They’re also a really useful tool in spring and autumn when the weather is changeable and you’re not ready for a full-on coat and too cold without one.

They are worth investing in as you will get the use out of them and they will last – my favourite biker jacket is 15 x years old and I still get people stopping me in the street to ask me where it’s from. Definitely worth the hassle of begging and borrowing money from my divorced parents to buy it!! Long live the biker jacket – I am a devotee.

So these are my six favourite’s – what are the six stylish items you can’t live without?!

See you soon,

Abbey.